DOHA, Qatar (AP) — An American couple cleared Sunday by a Qatari appeals court of wrongdoing in the death of their 8-year-old adopted daughter has been barred from leaving the Middle Eastern country just hours after they were told they were free to go.

Matthew and Grace Huang were stopped from exiting the conservative Gulf nation and had their passports confiscated as they tried to pass through airport immigration control in the capital, Doha, said family representative Eric Volz, who is traveling with them. The unexpected delay adds a new twist to a closely watched legal saga over the death of their adopted daughter, Gloria, that may have stemmed from cultural misunderstandings in the conservative Gulf nation.

The Los Angeles couple had been banned from leaving the energy-rich OPEC nation while their case made its way through the courts, but the appeals court ruled Sunday they were free to leave after the presiding judge overturned a child endangerment conviction against them.

They were met at the airport by U.S. Ambassador Dana Shell Smith, reflecting the intensity of American government interest in the case.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the court's decision to overturn the Huangs' conviction, but said the U.S. was "deeply concerned about new delays that have prevented their departure." Kerry said in a press statement that he had spoken Sunday with Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiya and urged the Qatari government to immediately implement the court's decision and allow the family to return to the U.S. "without further delay."

"The thoroughly documented findings of the court clearly establish the Huangs' innocence. The 22 long months of court proceedings following their daughter's tragic death have compounded the tragedy for the Huang family, and it is time now, as the Appeals Court stated, to let the Huangs return home," Kerry said.

The Huangs spent months behind bars before being let out on their own recognizance last November. They were convicted in March of this year of child endangerment and sentenced to three years in prison. They were allowed to remain free pending their appeal.

A doctor in Qatar who conducted Gloria's autopsy determined that dehydration and wasting disease were the cause of death. The Huangs have maintained their innocence and say Gloria suffered from medical problems complicated by unusual eating habits that included periods of binging and self-starvation. Prosecutors alleged she died after being denied food and locked in her room.

The Huangs have two other African-born adopted children and have been pressing Qatari officials unsuccessfully for permission to leave the country to be with them.

"It has been a long and emotional trial for me and my family, and Grace and I want to go home and be reunited with our sons," Matthew Huang said shortly after the ruling. "We have been unable to grieve our daughter."

Matthew Huang had been working in the booming nation as part of infrastructure improvements for Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup.

American couple Grace, right, and Matthew Huang arrive at the Hamad International Airport in Doha, Q …

U.S. officials intervened on the couple's behalf by raising the case with Qatari officials on multiple occasions. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki last month urged Qatar to lift the Huangs' travel ban immediately and bring the case to "an expeditious and just conclusion."

Qatar also hosts an important American military air operations center near Doha that is involved in airstrikes against the Islamic State group.

The U.S. ambassador met the Huangs at Qatar's sleek new Hamad International Airport, which opened earlier this year and is the base for fast-growing flag carrier Qatar Airways.

"We are very, very happy to see justice delivered," Smith told The Associated Press as they entered the airport.

Not long afterward, the Huangs were stopped by immigration authorities.

American couple Grace, right, and Matthew Huang walk to their departure gate with U.S. Ambassador to …

Volz said officials informed the couple that a new appeal has been filed in their case and that they were not allowed to leave.

"As you can imagine it's a very scary situation," Volz said.

The U.S. ambassador was on the scene trying to intervene with Qatari authorities, he added.

Qatari and U.S. Embassy officials had no immediate comment.

Western-style adoptions and cross-cultural families are relatively rare in Qatar, which has aggressively pursued a higher international profile through sporting events and overseas investments.

A report by Qatari police earlier raised questions about why the Huangs, who are of Asian descent, would adopt children who did not share their "hereditary traits." It also suggested that the children could have been part of a human trafficking operation or were bought for organ harvesting, according to the family's website.

Gloria, born in Ghana, was severely malnourished when she was younger and would at times refuse to eat for several days before binge eating or getting food from unusual places, such as garbage cans or from strangers, according to a report prepared in the U.S. by Janice Ophoven, a pediatric forensic psychologist who reviewed the case for the family.

The report noted that such unhealthy anorexic eating patterns are not uncommon in children adopted from impoverished backgrounds, and was a behavior the girl's parents were trying to manage and correct.

The report also noted that Gloria had previously been treated for an intestinal parasite, and said recent blood tests could have indicated she suffered from an underlying bone marrow condition, as well as a vitamin D deficiency.

I would have never gone to that country if I were them. Sometimes you have to research or sit your ass down.]]>
Sun, 30 Nov 2014 09:05:33 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post11078869.html#11078869http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post11078844.html#11078844
Author: QueenBeeSubject: 363214Posted: Nov 30 2014 at 8:11am

Qatar: US couple absolved in child's death

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — A Qatari appeals court on Sunday overturned a ruling against an American couple over the death of their adopted daughter and said they are free to leave, ending a closely watched legal saga that may have stemmed from cultural misunderstandings in the conservative Gulf nation.

Los Angeles couple Matthew and Grace Huang, who were originally jailed on murder charges following the January 2013 death of their adopted daughter Gloria, headed to the airport soon after the ruling to try to leave Qatar, said Eric Volz, who is coordinating legal and publicity efforts for the family.

The couple was convicted of child endangerment and sentenced to three years in prison in March. They were allowed to remain free pending their appeal but could not leave the wealthy OPEC nation.

The Huangs say 8-year-old Gloria died of medical problems complicated by unusual eating habits that included periods of binging and self-starvation. Prosecutors alleged she died after being denied food and locked in her room.

The Huangs have two other African-born adopted children and have been pressing Qatari officials unsuccessfully for permission to leave the country to be with them.

"It has been a long and emotional trial for me and my family, and Grace and I want to go home and be reunited with our sons," Matthew Huang said after the ruling. "We have been unable to grieve our daughter."

FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2014, file photo, Matthew and Grace Huang talk before they met with the U.S. …

U.S. officials intervened on the couple's behalf, with State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki last month urging Qatar to lift their travel ban immediately and bring the case to "an expeditious and just conclusion."

Qatar hosts an important American military air operations center involved in airstrikes against the Islamic State group.

Western-style adoptions and cross-cultural families are relatively rare in 2022 World Cup host Qatar, which has aggressively pursued a higher international profile through sporting events and overseas investments. A report by Qatari police had earlier raised questions about why the Huangs, who are of Asian descent, would adopt children who did not share their "hereditary traits."

Who were those witnesses? Their maids?I don't trust their court because they accused them of wanting to sell organs of a malnourished child. I think those parents did not kill the little girl; they just did not know how to handle her food disorder. They should have sought a professional, but 3 years for a crime they did not commit in a foreign jail?]]>
Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:24:26 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811818.html#10811818http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811659.html#10811659
Author: goodm3Subject: 363214Posted: Apr 09 2014 at 10:23am

thewonderfulwa wrote:

I agree with the court if my child refuses to eat we sit in the hospital and you get fed through the tube not going to get your child treated knowing she had issues with eating is medical neglect.

I've been reading about this case off/on, I don't understand why they didn't take her to a hospital and had her feed through a tube. So there is some accountability on their part but if they other children weren't malnourished I tend to reject the organ trafficking theory.]]>
Wed, 09 Apr 2014 10:01:26 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811637.html#10811637http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811628.html#10811628
Author: QueenBeeSubject: 363214Posted: Apr 09 2014 at 9:52am

An inflamed pancreas....better believe Gloria was complaining of stomache issues or hurting if she had an inflamed pancreas, why didn't they take her to the doctor?]]>
Wed, 09 Apr 2014 09:52:54 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811628.html#10811628http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811431.html#10811431
Author: ms_wonderlandSubject: 363214Posted: Apr 09 2014 at 1:34am

who are these witnesses that knew the girl was locked away without food or water and did nothing? I don't really trust this court system after the comments about no one wanting to adopt "ugly" black kids.]]>
Wed, 09 Apr 2014 01:34:16 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811431.html#10811431http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811395.html#10811395
Author: liesnalibisSubject: 363214Posted: Apr 09 2014 at 12:43am

Obama bet not do or say nuffin'. Who the fucc is you that you can invoke Obama? ]]>
Wed, 09 Apr 2014 00:39:26 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811389.html#10811389http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811386.html#10811386
Author: coconessSubject: 363214Posted: Apr 09 2014 at 12:33am

at first i was on the fence..

but i agree with the part that says they should have taken her to the hospital after she hadnt eaten for days.

I agree with the court if my child refuses to eat we sit in the hospital and you get fed through the tube not going to get your child treated knowing she had issues with eating is medical neglect.]]>
Wed, 09 Apr 2014 00:30:40 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811383.html#10811383http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10811381.html#10811381
Author: BBpantsSubject: 363214Posted: Apr 09 2014 at 12:25am

"We have just been wrongfully convicted and we feel as if we are being kidnapped by the Qatar judicial system," a distraught Matthew Huang told reporters outside the court Thursday. "This verdict is wrong and appears to be nothing more a than an effort to save face."

The couple was accused of murdering their daughter, Gloria, by starving her to death. But the judge did not specify the exact charge for which they were convicted.

The judge's order calls for the couple's deportation after the serve their sentence. They were also fined about $4,120 each.

The couple has two weeks to appeal the verdict.

The Huangs deny charges of killing their daughter, who died in January last year.

"The prosecutor accused us of trafficking our legal adopted children with the intent of selling their organs. That is how ridiculous this is," Matthew Huang said outside the courtroom. "So we are calling on the United States President Obama to call the head of state in Qatar."

But prosecutors argued that the evidence proved the couple deliberately starved Gloria.

In intentionally neglecting to take her to a doctor when they found out she had not eaten for days, the couple caused her death, prosecutors said.

Medical reports presented to the court concluded that the victim died of starvation and that her body was emaciated, the prosecution said. It added that witnesses testified the girl was locked up in her room and was deprived of food.

Defense lawyer Sami Abou-Sheikha, who asked for an acquittal, said Gloria died of other reasons.

Referring to the same reports as the prosecution, he said the girl had an inflamed pancreas and lung, stool that showed traces of food, and her bladder retained liquid.

Gloria always had water bottles in her room and had access to water from the bathroom in her room, the attorney said.

The couple's two other sons returned to the United States after their parents' arrest.

There are so many people who are real monsters despite being the picture of happiness. Of course I hope they are innocent of causing her death.]]>
Sat, 10 Aug 2013 18:39:48 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10486112.html#10486112http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10486083.html#10486083
Author: nicks_hotmama06Subject: 363214Posted: Aug 10 2013 at 6:27pm

I can only be so tolerant of some of these backwards countries. Ugly children!? Did they really just say that about a baby who died? Hook noses and all that I know run rampant in Qatar????

Well f.uck the belief system that allows them to spew this kind of hate. I am tired of being PC.]]>
Sat, 10 Aug 2013 08:18:32 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10485247.html#10485247http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10485241.html#10485241
Author: LimaladySubject: 363214Posted: Aug 10 2013 at 8:07am

I don't know. When a child dies of starvation, the parents usually have some fault. I mean, the charges against them in Qatar seem unfair, but they do need to be charged with something somewhere (child neglect, endangerment, etc). I just don't see them as faultless. I know, I'm mean.]]>
Sat, 10 Aug 2013 08:07:22 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10485241.html#10485241http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10485231.html#10485231
Author: JoliePoufiasseSubject: 363214Posted: Aug 10 2013 at 8:00am

Limalady wrote:

The child had an eating disorder?

She must have suffered a great deal before being adopted, for her to still have that problem. I don't think it's coming from the parents' attitude/expectations. I could be wrong.]]>
Sat, 10 Aug 2013 08:00:17 +0000http://Forum.BlackHairMedia.com/asian-adoptive-parents-of-black-kids-jailed_topic363214_post10485231.html#10485231